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"Wirral rockers Hippys On The Hill are no More"

WIRRAL rockers Hippys on the Hill are no more!
But fans can breathe a sigh of relief – the hotly tipped foursome are just changing their name.
The Wallasey band, who have gone from strength since they burst onto the scene five years ago, have decided on the change to coincide with the release of new material, plus a video and UK tour.
Their last appearance as the Hippys was at Wirral’s first music festival for teenagers, Youthfest, which took place in Vale Park, New Brighton over the weekend.

The band – Mike Priest, Sean McMinn-Davies, Craig Henderson and Brad Done – will reveal their new name on their Facebook page soon.
Bassist Sean McMinn-Davies said: “It’s definitely the end of an era, but in a good way.
“We’ve been Hippys On The Hill since we first got together in 2006, but it doesn’t really describe where we’re at now.
“The new name reflects our solid, rock ethos and sound much better. We’re not kids any longer – this is it, we’re here for the long haul.”
The band’s first gig under their new name will be on Friday, September 23 at the Shipping Forecast in Liverpool.
But they say their commercial rock sound and killer hooks will remain.
Guitarist Brad Done said: “Renaming the band has been a tough one for us.
“We have a really successful web presence that includes a MySpace profile with 53,511 plays and 1,892 Facebook ‘likes’ – so we don’t want to lose anyone on the way.
“But it’s a good time to do it as it ties in with the launch of some exciting new material which we’re really proud of and dying to get in front of our fans.”
From their beginnings at small school gigs in Wallasey, the band are now playing at some of the the UK’s top rock venues.
They will go on tour in the autumn and are hoping to play at festivals next summer.
RAIN failed to dampen spirits at Wirral Youthfest on Sunday.
Around 260 teenagers enjoyed music from the Hippys, We Were Beautiful, Solitary Confinement, The Heist, Notion, Static Vibe, Casino Heist and The Blackhand. - Wirral News Group


"Snub Festival Round Deux"

In the current climate of pay to play, pay to apply and voting systems for gig slots, we, in conjunction with WIRELESS MAGAZINE (https://www.facebook.com/wirelessmagazine?sk=wall) will be providing a non-judgemental outlet for local talent!

Let’s stop the fighting amongst the bands. Let’s unite and bring camaraderie to the arts scene instead of bands fighting amongst …themselves for a mediocre slot not even their mothers can be bothered to get out of bed for. And let’s face it, if you wanted to take part in a voting system, you’d have auditioned for X-Factor.

With the sad closure of The Masque and The CUC, plus the demise of live music in Mojo, Liverpool’s music scene has been rocked . We want to champion local artists and give fans value for money.

We have the first Thursday, Friday and Saturday of every month booked at the mighty Lomax and will be charging no more than £3 entry. We want to show the world how talented and diverse Liverpool is musically. We want to showcase some of the best Indie, Pop, Pop-Punk, Emo, Rap and Metal acts in Merseyside. No tricks, no gimmicks, just great music.

We launch Thursday 2nd Feb kicking off with Metal Snub. The Day Will Come, Hollow Dreams, Scare Tactics and Hope Against Hope will be each bringing something a little bit different. Mixes of old school, tech, post hardcore and modern metal will all be on show. Oceanis take the role of headliners, but I don’t think any of the bands playing would look out of place topping the bill.

Friday 3rd Feb will see our Indie/Alt Snub show commence. The Temps (GIT ones to watch in 2012), White Heat, The Fall Of Kings and Deltasonic’s Sonic Faith are bands that are hard to pigeon hole but impossible to ignore. I think they all incorporate epic rock, indie and pop perfectly.

And finally comes our Rock Snub, Sunday 5th Feb. Local hero’s Guardians (formally Hippy’s on the hill) will be bringing their fiery brand of high voltage rock, whilst headliners Always The Quiet Ones always ensure a frenetic live show. We Were Beautiful draw influence from every corner of the music industry and have already supported the likes of Deaf Havana and Lower Than Atlantis, whilst The Blackhand, having recently released their debut album ‘Greetings, From The Bitter Sweet Edge’ shouldn’t be missed. Fan favourites Arkaidence will be bringing their impressive, progressive rock. - Indie Music News


"Hippys On The Hill gig for 14+"

Wirral's rockers Hippys On The Hill are headlining a gig at the Masque Liverpool next month and are looking forward to seeing as many hometown TeenWirral fans there as possible!

The band will be at the Seel Street venue on Friday 11th February at 8pm – and the good news is the gig is for young people aged 14+.

Said bassist Sean McMinn-Davies: 'We just love gigging and getting our music to as many people as possible but it's a real downer that there aren't more venues for under 18s. This is 14+ so – see you there! As usual we'll be tearing the walls down, so if you haven't seen us before – or if you're one of our regulars – we'll see you at the Masque!'

Tickets for the gig, which is for 14+, are available in advance from Ticketweb and cost £4.

The band features bassist Sean, Brad Done on lead guitar, vocals; Craig Henderson on rhythm guitar, vocals and Mike Priest, drums and vocals.

They are all in their late teens and have been gigging since they met at school in Wallasey.

They have gone from playing church halls and youth centres to rock clubs and major venues including 02 Academies in Liverpool and London, Liverpool University and The Picket, and would love to play more in Wirral if there were more venues for their kind of music. They did however play at Oldershaw School, Wallasey, just before Christmas for Wirral's 'Foyer Rocks': 'It was amazing,' says Sean. 'We don't get a chance to play in Wallasey much – there just aren't the venues for bands doing their own stuff – but they gave us a great welcome. We felt like superstars!' he said.

Hippys On The Hill have supported The Blackout at Liverpool Sound City, The Automatic at the Jedi Festival, and have already been invited back to this year's Hub Festival in Liverpool on the strength of their two previous performances.

They were championed by Classic Rock magazine who featured one of their tracks on a covermount 'Guitarmageddon' CD alongside the likes of Lynrd Skynrd, Tom Morello (of Rage Against the Machine) and Dragonforce, and have attracted the attention of famous rock musician Rick Wakeman who played a track from their current 'Hunter' EP on Classic Rock.

Their debut EP, The Hunter, which was launched at The Masque in Liverpool, is now out on iTunes and Amazon.

Armed with a fresh set list, the group already has a number of festival dates lined up for the summer. For further info, see their Facebook and Myspace sites. - Teen Wirral


"Hippys on the Hill to support Marseille on reunion tour homecoming gig"

Classic Rock proteges, Wirral's Hippys on the Hill, have been chosen to open for Liverpool metal heroes Marseille when they play their homecoming gig on their current reunion tour.

Marseille first heard about the band when they were up in Liverpool promoting their ‘Unfinished Business’ tour, and DJ Billy Butler played a Hippys On The Hill track during a live interview with the band on Radio Merseyside.

Marseille loved it. And now Hippys On The Hill are set to support them at The Masque, Liverpool , on 2nd December.

Said bassist Sean McMinn-Davies:

"The band said some really positive things about our music, live on air, so we were absolutely made up!


"It’ll be great to show Marseille what we can do. We’re all really looking forward to it.

"Marseille are one of those bands you’ve gotta respect, they could have been massive, but were badly let down by the music industry. We’re just starting out so hopefully they’ll have some good advice for us on how to avoid the same pitfalls."


Hippys On The Hill are all from Wirral and are: Brad Done, lead guitar, vocals; Sean McMinn-Davies, bass, vocals; Craig Henderson, rhythm guitar, vocals; Mike Priest, drums and vocals.

The band are all in their late teens and have been gigging since they met at school. They have gone from playing church halls and youth centres to rock clubs and major venues including 02 Academies in Liverpool and London .

They have also supported The Blackout at Liverpool Sound City , and The Automatic at the Jedi Festival.

They were also championed by Classic Rock magazine who featured one of their tracks on a covermount ‘Guitarmageddon’ CD alongside the likes of Lynrd Skynrd, Tom Morello and Dragonforce.

Their debut EP ‘The Hunter’ is now out on iTunes and Amazon, and you can contact them on Facebook and Myspace.

Hippys mix Foos-esque rock heaviness with a punk-style swagger and anthemic choruses. Playing venues such as Liverpool’s 02, Picket, and Barfly, the band has quickly garnered a reputation as one of Liverpool’s most exciting live bands.
- Click Liverpool


"Guardians added to International Guitar Festival line up"

Merseyside alt-rockers Guardians have been added to the line-up of the Wirral based 2011 International Guitar Festival of GB. The band will appear at the Winter Gardens, Floral Pavilion, New Brighton in their own exclusive gig on Sat 19th November
Tickets are £5 and available from www.bestguitarfest.com or from the theatre box office on 0151 666 0000. There are no age restrictions on attending the gig, but under 14s must be accompanied by an adult.

This is a watershed year for Guardians, (formerly Hippys On The Hill); after changing their name, a gamble for a band with a large fan base and online community, guitarist Brad Done says: ‘Renaming the band has been a tough one for us; under our previous name, we had have a really successful web presence that included a MySpace profile with 53,511 plays and 1,892 Facebook ‘likes’ – so we didn’t want to ‘lose’ anyone on the way. But we decided it was time to bite the bullet and get on with it.’

A new band website is being developed to include latest news, ticket info, photos and more, meanwhile you can find them on Facebook and Twitter.



Read More: Guardians added to International Guitar Festival line-up - Liverpool-Live
Register online to win exclusive prizes Liverpool-Live.info - Liverpool Live


"One listen and you'll be astounded to learn that the average age of this quartet is a mere 16 years old"

Hippys On The Hill

One listen to Hippys On The Hill and you’ll probably be astounded to learn that the average age of this quartet is a mere 16 years old. But despite their tender age, this bunch are veterans of Battle Of The Bands competitions in their local area (that’s Wallasey in the Wirrall).

Brought together by a love of music, frontman/guitarist Brad Done explains: “It started off as an indie band then it became more punky, then we finally got to the style we have now.

“We don’t say we’re going to write a punk or a rock song, we just start jamming and then it evolves from there.”
See what you make of their fiery brand of alternative, high-voltage rock’n’roll by checking out their song We’re All Insane By The End Of The Night. Are these Hippys tough enough to win this fight? YOU decide. - Classic Rock magazine


"Wirral Hippys return to Liverpool this weekend"

HIPPYS On The Hill return to Liverpool this weekend to showcase new material in front of a 'home town' crowd.

The Wirral band, supporting Always The Quiet Ones at the Masque in Liverpool on Saturday, May 14, have been rehearsing the new songs hard over the last few months.

They met at school in Wallasey, and for musicians of such tender years - none of them are older than 18 - they have built up a loyal fanbase, caught the attention of rock's older statesman Rick Wakeman, and featured in the national rock press.

Looking forward to this weekend's gig, bassist Sean McMinn-Davies said: "We always get excited about playing new material, and we know we've got to get it right before we release it.

"We've built up quite a fanbase now and some of our live shows have been amazing so we don't want to disappoint.

"We'd become a bit over familiar with some of our older stuff but that's not to say we won't play it – we're just promising a fresher sound and a few surprises. "Our songwriting process is pretty old fashioned really.

"We just start riffing off each other and that's pretty much it.

"That way we all have an investment in our songs and it suits us really well." The bandmembers met at school in Wallasey, and for musicians of such tender years (none of them are older than 18), have built up a loyal fanbase, caught the attention of rock's older statesman Rick Wakeman, and featured in the national rock press.

Sean continued: "Our fans are great and we feel we have their enthusiasm to live up to." As well as this weekend's show, the boys will headline 'Snubfest' at the Masque on Sunday May 22, and co-headline with Cheap Thrills at Liverpool’s 02 Academy2, on Saturday July 2.

Tickets and details are from their Facebook and Myspace sites or visit www.o2academyliverpool.co.uk or www.masque-liverpool.com - Wirral Globe (Newsquest)


"Guardians to play Guitar Festival"

d Guardians – formerly Hippys on the Hill – have been added to the line-up of
the Wirral International Guitar Festival.
The rockers will appear at the Floral Pavilion, New Brighton, on Saturday, November 19, in their
own exclusive gig.
Other November gigs include dates in Preston, Liverpool, Sheffield, Crosby and Barnsley – and
a return to Wirral for the Wirral Youth Arts Expo at Pilgrim Street Arts Centre, Birkenhead on
Thursday, November 24.
Guitarist Brad Done said: “Renaming the band has been a tough one for us. We didn¶t want to
lose anyone on the way but we decided it was time to bite the bullet and get on with it.¶
Tickets are £5 and are available from www.bestguitarfest.com or from the theatre box office on
0151 666 0000. - Wirral News Group


"Guardians rounding off 2011 with Liverpool gig to launch new mini album"

WIRRAL band Guardians are rounding off a rollercoaster 2011 with the release of a new mini-album.
Follow Your Heart will be launched with a gig at the 02 Academy in Liverpool on Friday, December 30.
The Wallasey four-piece will play tracks from the album and unveil more new material.
Bass player Sean McMinn-Davies said: “It’s been a great year. We’ve realised two mini-ambitions – to appear in Kerrang! and play Wirral Guitar Festival.

“Normally it’s more established older bands but they gave us our own show which we filled with Guardians hits old and new.”
This year also saw the band change their name from Hippys on the Hill to Guardians.
And they say the switch has been well received by their growing band of followers on social networking sites and You Tube.
Rhythm guitarist Craig Henderson said: “We’re loving the response we’re getting over social media. And we’d like to see as many people there as possible on December 30 – we’re planning a storming show!” - Wirral News Group


"Wirral band Guardians featured in rock bible Kerrang"

WIRRAL band Guardians have made it to the pages of rock bible Kerrang.
The Wallasey rockers are featured in the magazine¶s local heroes in the issue out this week, dated November 16.
The group – Mike Priest, Sean McMinn-Davies, Craig Henderson and Brad Done – say they are delighted by their latest
achievement, which comes two months after they changed their name from Hippys on the Hill.
Guardians will be flying the flag for up and coming bands with a gig at the Floral Pavilion Theatre¶s Winter Gardens this
Saturday (November 19) as part of the International Guitar Festival of Great Britain.
Tickets are £3 from the Floral box office on 666 0000 or www.bestguitarfest.com
Other upcoming local gigs are Stamps in Crosby on Sunday, the Krazy House in Liverpool on November 28 and Liverpool
Masque on Saturday, December 17. - Wirral News Group


"Gig Review. 02 Academy, Liverpool. June 20th 2009"

From time to time if you are lucky, you get to see a young band on stage who just simply blow you away. Sometimes you think they might be a flash in the pan, that you just got fortunate enough to catch them on a good night. Not so with Hippy’s on the Hill.

These four local lads have got talent by the bucket load and an attitude that is refreshing and unexpected, especially when you see that that the average age of the foursome is just 16.

Opening up with 6ix, 5ive, 9ine, from their E.P Sparrows And Stories To Be Told… The Hippys, fronted by vocalist and guitarist Brad Done, immediately set out to rock the mixed aged audience and with Craig Henderson on guitar, Sean McMinn-Davies on Bass and extra vocals and Mike Priest on drums, they did just that.

The set was pure unadulterated belligerence; self assured rock. With memories of early Clash and The Alarm in their style the boys carried on the set with In the Night and the bizarre Popeye Has No Friends.

With time against them the band finished an incredible night with the slightly apt We’re All Insane (By The End of Tonight) to huge applause from a more than satisfied crowd.

One of the best young bands around and well worth catching when they play at the Wirral show in July.

Ian D. Hall - Ls Media: Liverpool Independent Student Newspaper


"Wirral rockers to see out the year with new album launch"

WIRRAL rockers Guardians launch their new album later this month.

The band, formerly known as Hippys On The Hill, recorded the mini-album over the past couple of months. It will be launched during a gig at the Liverpool 02 Academy on Friday, December 30.

So far, the new tracks have been going down a storm at their gigs.

The Liverpool date comes at the end of a busy year for the group.

In recent weeks the boys have featured in Kerrang, played at Wirral's International Guitar Festival and changed the band's name.

Bass player Sean McMinn-Davies said: "It's been a good year for us. Wirral Guitar Festival was excellent - normally it’s more established older bands but they gave us our own gig which we weren’t expecting.

"It was a great night with more than 80 tickets sold.

"We'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who came along and supported us."

The name change has gone down well with the band's followers on social media sites and on YouTube.

Rhythm guitarist Craig Henderson said: "Changing a name is always a gamble for a band, but it's worked out really well and we want to thank everyone for sticking by us.

"Let's get as many down to the 02 Academy as possible to celebrate the new album with us and look forward to the new year!"

The band has lined up some gigs for the New Year. They are:

January 28: Mojo, Liverpool, as main support for Man Get Out. The show is being compered by radio presenter Janice Long.

February 4: Snub 2 at the Lomax, Liverpool.

February 11: Head of Steam, Lime Street, Liverpool.

Ticket details are available at Facebook and Twitter @GuardiansUK or online at ticketweb.co.uk - Wirral Globe (Newsquest)


"Guardians sign up for International Guitar Festival"

WIRRAL band Guardians have been added to the line-up of Wirral International Guitar
Festival.
The band will appear at the Winter Gardens, Floral Pavilion, New Brighton, on Saturday,
November 19, in their own exclusive gig – and would love to see as many fans there as
possible.
The band – Brad Done, (lead guitar/vocals), Sean McMinn-Davies (bass), Craig
Henderson (rhythm guitar), and Mike Priest (drums) – have changed their name this year
from Hippys On The Hill (always a gamble for a band).
Now they¶ve made a conscious decision to blitz venues for gigs, and the dates are
coming in thick and fast.
Brad says: “Renaming the band has been a tough one for us – under our previous name,
we had a really successful web presence that included a MySpace profile with 53,511
plays and 1,892 Facebook µlikes¶ – so we didn¶t want to µlose¶ anyone on the way. But we
decided it was time to bite the bullet and get on with it.”
Guardian play the Floral Pavilion as part of the International Guitar Festival of Great Britain
on Saturday, November 19. Tickets £5 from www.bestguitarfest.com or the box office on
0151-666 0000. They also play Head of Steam on Lime Street on Saturday, November 5, - Liverpool Echo


"Guardians. Gig Review. Mojo’s Liverpool."

It’s funny what two years can do to a band. The name may have changed and given a more definitive harder edge. The group may no longer be known as Hippies on the Hill and now go by the more heavy rock sounding Guardians but the sound and the attitude is most certainly some of the finest Liverpool has produced in the last few years.

The Guardians were part of the night that was memorable in one respect with fans being able to check out a couple of bands before their turn at this year’s Liverpool Threshold Festival, it was also sadly the last night of live music to be held at Mojo’s. The night was that special it required the great Janice Long to come along and introduce the bands. With the excellent Craig Henderson on guitar, Brad Done on vocals, Sean Mcmin-Davies on bass and the quality drumming of Mike Priest, the Guardians really couldn’t wrong go in front an audience that was in the mood to really say goodbye in style.

That though would detract from just how much the band has moved on in the last couple of years. Even a few years ago and as much younger men, the band was just that good. Exciting, formidable and ready to take on the world, and with all the right reasons to back up their stunning attitude!

Age matures, it gives wisdom and in the case of the Guardians, where once they reminded anyone who went to see them of the Clash, they have surpassed this and gone beyond all expectations that anybody, bar the most far-sighted and optimistic fan, could have hoped for. Where once they were a younger version of the Clash, now they are a band in their own right, a hope for Liverpool music amongst so many but quite rightly ploughing a long furrow that is only their making.

It may have been a short set but the seven songs that the band played were top notch, gut wrenching, loud and superb. The four excellent musicians opened up with Follow Your Heart and An Enemy of My Enemy (Is My Friend). These opening two songs were, quite frankly, genuinely superb and came across well to a disparate audience.

Other songs played by the Guardians on the night were Make It Out Alive, the phenomenal Caught in the Crossfire and Red Eyes. Each song delivered with the same attitude that first caught people’s attention but with more oomph and drive.

Catch the Guardians when you can, these lads are really, really good and deserve to be huge!

Ian D. Hall - Liverpool Student Media Newspaper


Discography


"Make it Out Alive" - Single (September 21st 2011)

"Follow Your Heart" - Single (December 24th 2011)
Received radio airplay on BBC RADIO 2 (February 1st 2012)

"Follow Your Heart" - Album (Jan 2 2012)
1. Follow your Heart
2. An Enemy Of My Enemy (Is My Friend)
3. Make It Out Alive
4. Annabel
5. Sirens
6. Caught In The Crossfire
7. The Healer
8. Red Eyes

Photos

Bio

Guardians are from the Wirral, and have been together since school. They were playing bikers pubs and rock venues long before they were theoretically legal to go in them. 'We would be setting up, a group of very young teenagers, in these bars, and we could see the customers thinking like, what the hell was going on. Then we'd crank up the volume and they loved us,' says bass player Sean.

Since those early days, Guardians have gigged hard, learned their craft, and have come up through the ranks to be picked up by Kerrang and Classic Rock magazines.

They have bagged support slots to The Blackout and The Automatic, and have recently been championed by Radio 2’s Janice Long who played the title track of their latest album after seeing them on stage in Liverpool in January. ‘They were astounding,’ she told listeners, before tagging 'Follow Your Heart,' the title track of the band's latest album as a 'Janice Likes' on Radio 2's website

The band is amazing live, with comparisons to a belligerent early Clash. They headlined the first ever Youthfest 'teenagers only' guitar band festival on Merseyside last year, and in November, became the youngest band ever to headline at the Guitar Festival of Great Britain.

They have a large and loyal following, and regularly sell-out their gigs at some of Liverpool's major venues such as the 02 Academy and Picket.

Fans include none other than Rick Wakeman, formerly of Yes, who played their debut 'The Hunter' on his Classic Rock show, then was happy to meet up with the band when he played a local gig.

As Hippys On The Hill, (the name the band went out as until changing their name to Guardians late last year), they had a track included on 'Guitarmageddon,' covermount CD given away with the Classic Rock magazine, after winning an online readers' poll. Editor Sian Llewellyn told readers: 'When you hear this you'll be as amazed as we were to discover their age.' Other artists on the CD included Tom Morello and Lynrd Skynrd.

Late last year the band took a gamble and changed their name to Guardians - quite a gamble when you have a large following on social media. As Hippys On The Hill, the band's large and loyal following had been with them since the early days but their name didn’t reflect their sound. The name change seems to have paid off with the faithful still turning up in force for gigs and putting in some amazing crowd action of their own. Not for nothing are Guardians' gigs the stuff of legend!

‘Follow Your Heart,’ their first album as Guardians has just been released, and is on iTunes. It was written, recorded, mixed, mastered and released by the band, and the new material has been going down really well with the fans as well - as mentioned previously - as picking up national interest. They are now really keen to consolidate their progress with as many dates - especially festivals - around the country as they can. They are committed to getting their music out - and playing to - as many people as possible.

Craig Henderson, rhythm guitar: 'There are so many brilliant bands who have influenced us as a band over our years together, but its bands such as: Foo Fighters, The Darkness, The Clash, Green Day , Lostprophets, Biffy Clyro, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Enter Shikari who by their unbelievable live shows and albums infuse Guardians to better their selves as musicians further and to be honest if it wasn't for them we, as many bands, would never have even picked up a guitar.'